The US Navy has been quietly lending a hand to vessels navigating the Strait of Hormuz, according to US military officials. No big announcements, just steady support behind the scenes.
A spokesperson for US Central Command made it clear that the US hasn’t revived the ‘Freedom Plan’—the effort they’d previously announced and then put on ice to help ships stuck in the Strait.
One Greek oil tanker, packed with 2 million barrels of crude, got a US Navy escort as it hugged the Omani coast and slipped through the Strait. That tanker had been hanging out in the Persian Gulf since early March, and now it’s finally on its way to India to unload.
Military officials added that the Navy plans to shepherd more than a dozen more ships—including oil tankers and container vessels—through the Strait over the next few days.
But don’t get it twisted: a US Central Command spokesperson shot down rumors that the ‘Freedom Plan’ is back in action. Those reports? Not accurate, they said.
Here’s the backstory: The US military kicked off the ‘Freedom Plan’ on the morning of the 4th local time in the Middle East. Then, just 48 hours later, President Trump pulled the plug, saying he wanted to see if a US-Iran deal could actually get finalized and signed. Word on the street is the plan hadn’t been coordinated with Gulf allies, which ticked off Saudi Arabia—they refused to let the US use their bases and airspace. Since then, Trump has dropped hints that he might bring the ‘Freedom Plan’ back at some point.
